Mel Kishner

(1915, Milwaukee – 1991 Tucson, AZ)

Mel Kishner was born in Milwaukee in 1915. He received his B.S. in Art Education from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Upon graduating, he began teaching in Milwaukee schools and later became the Art Director of the Milwaukee Journal / Sentinel.

Kishner was known for his watercolors, but he also painted in oil, casein, and acrylic. During the 30s, he painted in a more traditional, regionalist style, however, his artwork showed the influence of other artists and movements toward the middle of his career. By the 1970s, Kishner was exhibiting surrealist paintings.

Kishner has showed at a variety of institutions including the Milwaukee Art Institute and in Washington D.C.